The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1887-06-08
WHAT MAKHs BABY CRY.
SIGNS WHICH INDICATE DISEASE
IN INFANTS

A Physician EFaCtiCttK f1<1B BeSJlOnS 90
Mothers and Nurses Points from
Lecture by DR.. Chenery, of Harvard,
i before the Boston Ladies' Physiologi-
cal Institute. M
From the Ife6aat Rsco,d.
Before we can understand the syllable of
infantile pathology, We nltst tis-st learn the
alphabet of infantile physiolpgy; for here,
as with older persons, u clear knowledge of
what is normal in Condition and function is
necessary, as the certain stake and stones
70 form point FROM which to determine all
abnormal departures. Nature demands that
twenty out of the tsgentyfour hours be
passed in sleep for the flint month, and for
the first few days nearly altthe time aunts,
uncles, cousins, GRANDPARENTS and neighbors
wishing to see tho E5 Notwithstanding.
Now look at that little, sIeeper and study
v6ur lesson. Its position iseasy and natn-
Tal 1t is not flushed nor pale. The lips are
not white, nor are they liaid. The skin is
soft and slightly InoiSes III not sweaty nor
dry nor is there Excessive Moisture on the
hands or head alone 3hA ehilds expression
is natural, not painful Il If does not kick,
toss, twist, moan, grind i Jaws or teeth, if
II has any. The nostfils work quietly; are
is not widely open, nofsl Is it closed; it is
not depressed nor swollen up hard and
throbbing, but gently moves with every
respiration. The eyes are closed, rolled
No, and the pupils are evenly con-
tfacted, as one under heavy dose of opium,
but they Immediately expand on awaking.
When the child is asleep, the first week the
pulse is about 1872; it quickens ten or fifteen
beats on awaking, and grows more rapid on
nursing, excitement or fright, Itgradually
slows with age, and at the end of the third
wear gets down to 100 or co. or even less 1t
does not decrease SO much during sleep, nor
hy so furiously under fright or excitement,
and, should it now rush up to 100 or more
with heat and sickness, it is well to think
of nuts, plum-cake or liberal handful of
candy.
SLEEPING AND WAKING.
Notice the head--its shape and temper
AZURE; the long bones-whether they be
straight and their heads SMALL the respira-
tion-it is easy and natural, with a rapidity
of about "a while the child is asleep and on
an average of 80 when awake! During the
second year it gets down to Is in sleep,
where it remains for several years. always
rising when the child awakes. Put your
hand on the child. Is it warm not hot nor
cold! Is the flesh firm, not hard nor soft9
Having begun your lesson, go on using your
senses till you have made yourself largely
and accurately familiar with whatever be-
longs to the normal general appearance and
function of the child when asleep and
awake, and know that. as a negro will put
down his burden before he answers your
question, so the infant holds its breath when
ever it moves its head or hand or tries to
smile.
Not only will the practical physician see
all these things and make deductions accord
ingly, but he looks at the parents, the older
children, the room--its furnishings, neat
ness, surroundings, its air, light, heat, etc
DR.. Dubrunfant says red should be pro-
scribed for our furniture, except for the cur
tains. Whether he is correct in this OF not
it is certain that light is of immense import
ance to sound health and growth, being pre-
sentative against disease as it is curative in
sickness.
THE CHILD's CRYING.
The child, on beginning to breathe should
plump up, grow firm and rosy and yell
loudly. After crying ont lttle-and we
seek to make it do that for the purpose of
insuring full expansion of the air-cell-the
normally born child will stop its crying if it
is all right and properly cared for. But it
may soon begin to cry again, and what does
this means 1t means that the child feels
that something is wrong, and this is the way
it makes its feelings known. Go, then, and
see what the matter is, and do not give up
the search till you have found out. The
child may feel cold; it may be constrained
in some part or it is pressed upon, or, most
likely, it has been wrapped in a wooden
blanket, and the cut ends of the wool are
teasing its tender skin and it is in torment
Most people think that there is natural
affinity between the delicate surface of the
child, which has hitherto felt only the touch
of bland fluid, and a WOODEN garment.
Now, have experimental on this subject
till am satisfied there never was, and there
never will be-
WOODEN CLOTHING.
And yet what woman about to become a
mother will not go down town and buy a
woolen outht-band, socks, blanket and all,
and what is not wool is made up of Starched
or gum-arabic stiffened cotton? When
these are tightly on, whs-+ has the little suf-
ferlng creature to do but~'o cry and tell
how uncomfortable it is and that it cannot
sleeps Awhile since there was a yelling in
my neighborhood day and night, and for
the sake of all concerned | told my wife to
60 in and see il the suffering creature was
not dressed in wooden, and if so to tear up
some old pillow slip and tuck the pieces in
between the clothes ana the child. She went
and we heard no more noise from that quar-
ter.
Now, | do not mean to bring railing
accusation against wool as an article of
areSS for child. but what do mean to say
is, that WOODEN garment should never be
applied next to the skin of child Let all
Woolen garments be lined or worn outside
OF others. In the neglect of this rule wool
mas slain its thousands. If it has not
dlrectly killed them it has caused them to
cry till they were killed by dosing, If they
have escaped out of all this they have been
seriously, if not hopelessly, injured. More
over, who can tell the wretchedness brought
sleep!
THE BATH.
But the child cries when it is washed
and why should it nots What says your
physiology! The temperature of the new
porn sinks considerably below normal dur
ing the first few minutes. In chilled con-
uilon do you take your bathss If So do
you 90 1t In cool rooms The application
vi tepid water further abstracts the bodily
neat and renders the child more uncom-
portable, and it speaks out as it ought to.
nov what viii be the result if you use tepid
4 instead of the waters viii the child cry9
: hlnk not. Not only is water used
W'uch chills the child, but auntie uses soap
~ the water and splashes the suds into the
,hapy eyes, which 1t has not vet learned to
Aeep lightly closed 1t cries with the smart
S.!a Is likely to cry for the next fortnight
Nun Wlta sore eyes. ! declare it is my belief
olly very large proportion of the cases Of
ftp ~ nJuhctlVal inflammation | have seen in